Proceedings of 2nd International Symposium for Color Science and Art 2020

Scientific Research into the Green Metallic Luster of Safflower
Red Pigment extracted by Traditional MethodHitoshi Yajima, Maiko Sasaki, Keiko Takahashi, Masato Oshima,Kazuyuki Hiraoka, Morio Yashiro, Katsumi Yamada
Tokyo Polytechnic Univ., 1583 Iiyama, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0297, JapanABSTRACTHigh quality safflower red pigment was extracted by an
improved method of traditional one. The extracted
pigment shows a green metallic luster in a dry state. In
this project, this phenomenon was studied scientificallyand the obtained results were expressed as a movie film.
1.INTRODUCTION"Beni" is a pigment used for makeup such as lipstick,and is bright red.However, if "Beni" is applied thickly, thecolor becomes green with metallic luster instead of red. Since the late Edo period, makeup methods utilizing thisphenomenon have been widely known. It is called"Sasabeni" and means shiny green like bamboo leaves,and can be seen in Ukiyo-e.

remaining an unsolved matter, which the “Beni” shows
greenish metallic luster in the dry state. This film is
produced to reveal the mystery. The main production staff
are the same as the previous work. The production
method is also planned to be finished only with 35 mm film,
and in fact, some scenes have been executed. The
remarkable changes in the video production environment
over the last few years have made it difficult to finish works
only with film prints. As a result, it became hybrid work offilm print and digital data.

Almost at the same time in 1810, Johann Wolfgang vonGoethe published “Theory of Color (Zur Farbenlehre)”. He
described in the part 3 of the book, 578 of Chemical
Colours, "A remarkable appearance may be here adverted
to; pigments, in their deepest and most condensed state,especially those produced from the vegetable kingdom,such as the indigo just mentioned, or madder carried to its
intensest hue, no longer show their own colour; on thecontrary, a decided metallic shine is seen on their surface,in which the physiological compensatory colour appears.".
In modern Japan, there is a long-established store that
deals almost exclusively with cosmetic “Beni”. They
explain, "The red pigment is so pure that it absorbs red
light and emits the opposite color, green light, so it looks
iridescent in the dry state."As we can be seen from theexpression of opposite color, Goethe “Theory of Color (ZurFarbenlehre)” has gained wide acceptance in traditional
industries and the arts.
However, it is difficult to accept these explanations as it
is from Newton's optical point of view that leads to modern
science.
Then, we started the scientific research about green
metallic luster of safflower red pigment after modificationof traditional extraction method of the pigment. Since then
6 years were passed, we came to present the results as
this film work today. Fig. 1 Screen shot of “Miyako fūzoku kewai
2. ABOUT THE FILMden”(Hanshichimaru Sayama).
Title: “Sasa color lipstick”（ The Green Metallic Luster bySafflower Red Pigment ）Prores422HQ 11 min.              
Background： The previous our film produced in 2016 is3 . OVERVIEW OF THE FILM

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Proceedings of 2nd International Symposium for Color Science and Art 2020
Scientific considerations on the phenomenon that red
pigment "Beni" produced from safflower has a green
metallic luster when it is dried state.

Yajima, Maiko Sasaki, Keiko Takahashi, Masato Oshima,Kazuyuki Hiraoka, Morio Yashiro, Katsumi Yamada, Bull.
Soc. Photogr. Imag. Japan. (2018), Vol. 28-2, 18–22.

Fig. 3 Screen shot of “Beni”.
Fig. 2 Safflower grown on Atsugi campus.

4. TARGET OF THE FILM
We assumed that high school students could
understand.

15 1520 2030 3040 4050 5060 6070 70Reflectance / %30

5. HIGHLIGHT OF THE FILMThe “Beni” make-up scene, as operation manual written
in the Edo period, show that the lower lip has a green
metallic luster, and the bright red color of the upper lip isaccompanied by red fluorescence.

2010500550600650

Wavelength / nm
6. STAFF OF THE FILM
Staring     Momoka Endou Music    Yoshiharu
Fig. 4 Specular reflection spectra of safflower red） on the black base.  Incident
film （”Beni”）
Director/Producer Hiroshi Yajima, Maiko Sasaki    pigment
angle and reflected angle were 15°°- 70°° and 15°°
Cinematography Hisoshi Nose-70°°
forsurface
normal,respectively.
Cooperation   Kanazawa Institute of Technology   Nobeyama Radio Observatory   Hadano City   Pola Reserch Institute of Beauty&Culture
7. SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF THE FILM
This work is not commercial film, and is awareness film.
All comments in the film are scientifically supported byjournal papers as follows:
1. “Green Metallic Luster on the Film of Safflower Red
Pigment Extracted by a Traditional Method -Approach with
Optical Measurements-“ Hitoshi Yajima, Maiko Sasaki,Keiko Takahashi, Kazuyuki Hiraoka, Masato Oshima,Katsumi Yamada, J. Soc. Photogr. Sci. Technol. Jpn.,(2018), Vol.81, 65-69
2. “ Influence of Photo-illumination on Greenish
Metallic Luster of Safflower Red Pigment Film” Hitoshi

Fig. 5 Screen shot of green metallic luster of “Beni”.

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